Electric clock.



3. W. SWAIN & H. M. SMITH.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

. APPLIOATION- FILED MAY 3, 1911.

1,037,079, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

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Wibucbow 'J, W. [SWAIN & H. M. SMITIL ELECTRIC CLOCK. APPLICATION rum MAY3, 1e11.-

Patented Aug. 27, 1912,

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PATENT oFFIon.

JAMES W. SWAIN AND HENRY M. SMITH, F CLARINGTON, OHIO.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application filed May 3, 1911. Serial No. 624.755.

To all whom it mayc'mu-crn Be it known that. we. JAMES \V. Swim and HENRY M t'iw rn, citizens of the United States. residing at Clarington, in the county of Monroe and State of Ohio,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric clock of that type in which the balance wheel and thcescapement are operated by means I of-an electroanagnet periodically energized and deenergized by the making and'breaking of the electric circuitby the movement of,the balance Wheel or a part moving in synchronisin therewith. i

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of electric clocks of this char.- acter so as to be reliable and efliclent in use,

composed of comparatively few, parts, and

inexpensive to manufacture.

Another obiect of the invention is the provision of a pair of electro-magnets adapted to be alternately energized to op- .erate an impulse lever that actuates the balance wheel and the escapement, there being used in combination with the electro- .inagnets a circuit make and break device controlled by the movement of the balance wheel to alternately connectand disconnect the electro-magnets in and out of circuit with a source of current.

, With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention-comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claim appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment, of the invention,

.Figure 1 is a plan view of the clock mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 l\ a vertical section on line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the male and break device.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammaticview of the ciredit connections.

to designate correspom ing j parts through out the views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the dial of the clock over which move the operated by a suitable train of gears 4 from an cscapcmcnt shaft 5 suitably supported in bearings. the said shaft having an (501190 ment wheel 6 which is operated by courting pawl-s 7 mounted on a movable carrier 8. This carrier. which is supported on swinging arms 9 pivoted to the base plate 10, is connected by a rod ll with an impulse lever 12. This lever is fulcrumed intermediate its ends, at 13, in bearings 14 on the base plate. and one end of the lever is connected fit-h the lower end of a swinging arm'15 on the armature 16 of the electro-magncts 17 and 17. The armature isccntrally pivo-ted'at 18 on a frame 19,.rigidly secured to the base plate, and these electroanagnets are alternately energized so as to oscillate the armature and swing the arm 15 that actuatcs the impulse lever 19. Thus, by the oscillation of the armatu're,the escapen'ient is moved back and forth with the result that the coacting pawls' of the escapement cause the escapement wheel to turn step by step.

The impluse lever 19. operates a balance wheel 20 which is fastened to a staff 21 having its lower end journaled in a bearing22 on. the base plate and its upper end journa'led in a bearing 23on a. cross bar 24 supported by standards 25. On the staff 21 is a disk 26 that carries a pin or other projection 27 including-a roller to reduce friction, and the end of the impulse lever onposite from that connected with the armature is formed with bifurcations 28 between which the roller pin 27 is adapted to engage at acertain point in the rotation of the balance \v heel staff. so that while thus engaged, the appropriate. clectro-magnet can give an impulse tothc balance wheel,

said balance wheel having the usual hair fastened LO a post 32 on the base plate and movable between spaced fixed contacts 33 and 34, which are adjustabLv held in posts 35 0n the base plate. The posts of the contaictsare connected with the electro-magnets by circuit connections which will be de- Fuleragned on the base plate adjacent the 11-0 scribed hereinafter with relation to Fig. 5,.

35 torthe contacts 33 and 3t.

post 32 is a lever 36 which has one extremity provided with a roller contact 37 with which engages a cam as on the balance element. the cam being shown on the stall' it below the disk 2b. ()n the lever arc oppositely-(lisposed arms 35) that continue past the post 32 and are provided with insulated lingers 40 which engage opposite sides of the spring contact, so that as the lever is moved in one direction and then in the other, the spring contact will alternately engage the fixed contacts 33 and 34-.

In Fig. 5, the circuit ct'mnections are shown. A source of current, such as a battery 41, has its opposite terminals conneced with binding posts 42 and 43, and from the binding post 43 CXtOIltlS a wire .44 which connects with corresponding terminals of the electroanagm-ts 17 and 17, the latter having their other terminals OllllOPl'ttl, re spcctively, by wires 45 and 46 with the posts The post is connected by a wire 4 with the post 32 of the spring contact 31. 'hen the spring contact is tilted to the left, Fig. 5, the current flows through the circuit consisting of the/battery 41, binding post 43. wire 4.4. electro-magnet winding 17, wire 45. fixed contact spring contact 31,. wire 4?, binding" post 49, and hatter-5 41. The armature of the electro-magnets is thus oscillated to give an impulse to a halance wheel. The fiow of current is only mon'tentary because the spring contact 3t separates from the contact as the cam 3R on the balance staff passes beyond the roller 3. of the lever 36. Upon the return movement oi the cam 38 the lever 36 is tilted in a direction to move the spring contact 31 to the right into engagement with the fixed contact 3% and current now flows through a circuit consisting of the battery all. binding;- POSti 4:3, wire 44, "li tro-lnagnct l7. wire i fixed contact; 34, spring contact 31, wire -17. hunting post 42, and batter} 41. The elcclrcmna net 17' thusbcon'lcs energized and oscillates the armature to impart an impulse to the balance wheel in the opposite clire.rtion. In this manner, the clock will operate cominuously as long as the proper voltage is maintained at the source of current. v

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the acctunptmying drawlugs, the advantages of the eonstrtaction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in ii art to which the invention appertatns, and while we have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the apparatus which we now consider to he the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that; the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may he made when desired as are within the acope of the claim appended hereto.

Having thus described the what we claim is In an electric clock, the combination of a base, separate eleetroaintgnets thereon adapted to be alternately energized, an armature centrally pivoted with its extremities in cooperative relation with the poles of the electro--magnets. an arm fixed on the armature and extending; between the electromagnets. a balance element mounted on the base and spaced from theclcctro-magnets, a lever pivoted on the base and disposed between the electrtnmagncts and balance clcment and having one Olltl connected with the extremity of the arm on the armature, means on the balance element. with which the opposite extremity of the lever is adapted to engage, a time mechanism mounted on the base atone side of the lever and including an escapement, means for connecting the lever with the escapemcnt the lever forms a common actuator for the escapen'lent and balance element, circuits for the electro-magnets, and a circuit make and break device mounted on the base and operated by the balance element.

- In testimohy whereof we aflix bur signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W'. SWAIN. HENRY M. SMITH. Witnesses:

C. WARD, J 0113* W. Rose.

invention,

whereby 

